Child&#39;s folding seat



Feb. 1, 1944. F 0. AYLOR 2,340,788

CHILDS FOLDING SEAT Filed Feb. 11. 1942 W1? AA A ime5411444lealemmlaaawlyu@Mezzaninewww1/zel 3 2 32 JZ ZZ Snnentor Patented Feb. 1, 1944 UNITED STATES- TENT OFFICE 10 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in Childs folding seat, and has for an object to provide a collapsible or folding chair adapted to be used about the house or that may be transported in traveling and which may take the place of a high chair.

Another object of the invention is to provide a collapsible or folding seat for a young child so constructed and arranged that it may be compactly folded instantaneously in a very small compass for carrying around under a persons arm.

A further object of the invention is to provide a childs folding seat orchair in which a foldable container entirely encloses the chair when collapsed and constitutes base and back portions'for the chair in the set-up position of the chair, and in which provision is made for locking thechair in the set-up position against accidental or casual collapse.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, andwill be more particularly pointed out in the .claims appended hereto.

In the drawing, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure l is a perspective view of an improved childs folding seat or chair constructed in accordance with the present invention and shown in the set-up position ready for use.

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2--2 in Figure 3.

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3-3 in Figure 2.

Figure 4 isa view similar to Figure 2 but showing the partially collapsed condition of the parts, and

Figure 5 is a view also similar to Figure 2 showing the wholly collapsed position of the parts.

Referring more particularly to the drawing I designates a base having side flanges I and I2, a front flange i3 and a rear flange H1. Such base cooperates with a similar or complement/a1 cover or back I having side lianges I6 andi?, a front flange i8 and a rear flange |91. The mutual iianges of the two enclosing members il) and I5 reject toward one another and define an enclosed space, as indicated in Figure 5, for the reu ception of the chair seat and brace members.

Hinges 2t, of any suitable number or construction-are shown as connecting the rear'fianges' l andlS. of the two members I0 and I5'to join the members together forv relative-,pivotal movement incident to the opening and closing of these members which constitute a case.

rlhe seat is composed of two sections, a front relatively deep section 2| and a rear relatively shallow section 22. These two sections 2| and 22 are joined together by hinges 23, leaves 24 of which lie along the bottom surfaces ofthe sections 2| and 22 and are secured to such sections by any appropriate fasteningjs. Such arrangement enables the seat to break upwardly, as indicated in Figure 4, and constitutes the adjoining edges 25 and 2S of the seat sections 2| and 22 as mutual or mating members of a toggle or other lock, functioning when the parts are in the set-up position shown in Figures 1 and 2. The seat is hinged to the cover l5 as indicated at Z'l by a hinge connecting with the rear smaller section 22 of the seat. The hinge leaf 28 is secured to the inner face of the cover member I5, while the hinge leaf i3 is amxed to the rear edge of the rear smaller seat member 22.

At its forward portion the seat is pivoted to legs or uprights 3|. The pivots are indicated at 3b and may be carried by the side forward edges of the front deep seat section 2| and engage through the uprights or legs 3|. The legs 3| have upper parts or standards -`3|a which are adapted to rise upwardly from the plane of the seat. The legs 3| at their lower ends arel secured by pivots 32 to the forward `portions of the flanges il and i2 of the base It.

Arms or links 33 are secured by pivots 34 to the lateral anges lli and of the coverlnear the front flange |53. The forward portionsl of the arms or links 33 are hinged, as at 35, to the upper portions of the legs or standards 3 la; The hinged leaves 36 extend alongr the upper edges of thel arms or links 33 and are afiiXed thereto by any suitable fastenings. rThe hinged leavesl 3l lie along the forward edges of the members 3|a and are secured thereto by any appropriate fastenings. In other words the hinges 35 are upon the upper or outer faces of the link membersl 3|a and 33 and these members have mutual diagonally cut edges 38 and 3B which constitute locking edges as the same meet or mate in the set-up position of the chair. A leatherette or other covering It@ may be secured to the external'portions of the case to give the same a finished and ornamental appearance and also to preserve the device and the material thereof, it being understood that this device may be made from wood, plastic1v metal or other appropriate material.

It will be seen thatthe width ofthe seat is somewhat less than'fthev distance between lateral' flanges II, I2 and I6, I'I of the base IIJ and cover I5 and that the seat is centrally located so that its side edges are both spaced from the lateral flanges. This arrangement provides spaces at opposite sides of the seat and between the seat and the lateral flanges, which spaces accommodate and receive the link members 3| and 33 in the folded or collapsed position of the parts.

A convenient form of the chair has been made from wood with leatherette covering dimensioned when folded, eleven by eleven and one-half inches, and when opened, six and one-half inches high.

The chair can be opened by pulling apart the two sides of the case which are the members l and I and pressing down upon the seat. When closing all one has to do is to press under the seat and the device collapses into a small parcel.

The device is economically and simply made by simply hinging two substantially square pieces of wood together to which the folding seat and the bracket links are hinged as previously described. l

In the use of the device, Figures 1 and 2 show the set-up position of the seat. In this condition the seat may be directly placed upon a table or other elevated support and it will serve as a high chair. When erect the seat receives the weight of the child in a direction vertically downward. Due to the hinged construction 23 this weight tends to move the abutting ends and 26 closer together. The weight is upon the closing side of the hinge so that the weight of the child can never accidentally or casually result in opening or collapse of the seat at 23: the arrangement of all three pivots 23, 2I and 35 keeping the seat from collapsing. The arrangement is such that the childs weight upon the seat also locks the links or brackets 3| and 33 in the set-up position. This Y arrangement constitutes a substantial factor of safety. The arrangement is such that from a partially collapsed position in which the two sections of the seat extend slightly upward in an inverted V it will be necessary to apply a little force vertically downward upon the seat in order to close it to a horizontal position, during which closing movement the locking edges 25 and 26 will snap together. The base I0, back I5, seat sections 2| and 22 and links 3| and 33 and their connecting pivots and hinges possess as a whole both flexibility and resiliency due to the inherent properties of the materials out of which some or all these parts are constructed. Viewed from a sidewise aspect, as in Fig. 2, the connected base I0, back I5 and links 3| and 33 form a trapezium, across which is projected the seat sections 2| and 22. The distance from 2'1 to 30 is slightly greater than the normal width across the trapezium which causes the trapezium to be put under tension when the seat sections are aligned with one another. The inherent resiliency in the trapezium parts will react through the seat sections, this reacting force or moment being directed in a straight line connecting the pivots 21 and 30, as these are the points joining the trapezium to the seat. This line running above the pintle 23, the resilient reactive force will be effective to constantly tend to close hinge 23; that is prevent opening of the hinge 23, and to this extent the construction affords a bias lock holding the device in the set-up position and against collapse. To enable the device to be folded an active force is necessary to break this bias or spring lock, such force being applied by pushing up on the underside of the seat.

In the collapsing movement of the trapezium the links 3| and 33 hinge in such a way that their pivots 35 from being in a position outwardly of a dead center line swing across such dead center line to the opposite side of the dead center line and become infolded together along their outer edges. This condition is compelled by the position of the seat, by the fact that the seat is made of two parts and by the arrangement, heretofore referred to, in which the seat 2|, 22 projects across the trapezium with its points 30 of connection with the links 3| lying below the hinges 35 in the set-up position of the parts. Thus the thrust of the set-up seat 2 I, 22 across the trapezium tends to push the links 3| outwardly, that is in a direction to close the hinges 35 with the end faces 38 and 39 in contact. The seat hinges 23 break upwardly and the link hinges 35 break diagonally downwardly; so that when the links 3| and 33 fold within the case (compare Figs. 2 and 4) the hinges 35 cross the seat and the seat hinges 23 cross the links. In other words the seat members 2|, 23 fold reversely with respect to the folding action of the links 3|, 33, for which see particularly Figure 4. Weight imposed on the upper side of the seat tends to close the faces 25 and 2B, and the maintenance of this set-up position of the seat causes the faces 38 and 39 to close together and remain closed. Thus the contacting faces 25, 26, 38 and 39 contribute to holding the trapezium structure and its seat members in the set-up position in a strong and rigid manner.

Figure 4 shows the partially knocked-down condition of the parts in which the links 3| and 33 have almost reached final position, these links being longer than the seat sections and having farther to travel on their initial movement, advance to collapsed condition faster than the seat sections. However the arrangement is such that after such initial movement, from the position shown in Figure 4, to that shown in Figure 5, the motion of the links will slow down and the collapsing motion of the seat sections will speed up. In the final closed position as shown in Figure 5 the forward seat section 2| and the lower links 3| will lie in the same plane within the confines of the flanges II, I2 and I3, I4 of the base I0, while the rear shallower section 22 of the seat is infolded with the links 33 into the confines of the flanges Iii, I'I and I8, I9 of the cover or back member I5. The free edges of the flanges of the two members I 0 and I5 may close together or approach a closed condition as indicated in Figure 5 in which the flat characteristic of the collapsed chair is shown, rendering it suitable for placing under the arm or holding in the hand during movement thereof from one place to another.

In setting up the chair from the collapsed condition of Figure 5, it will be necessary to raise the cover I5 to a position to the left of that shown in Figure 2 as obviously the combined lengths of the links 3| and 33 in their aligned or dead center position is greater than the straight line between pivot points 32 and 34 across the right angle position of the parts ID and I5 as shown in Figure 2. Therefore it is necessary to move the member I5 initially to a leaning-back position from the vertical, in which position the hand will be inserted under the links 3| to pull the same out across their dead center positions and out in front of this dead center position. The nal operation is to exert downward pressure on the two seat members to cause the locking faces 25 and 26 to snap together.

Although I have referred to thedevice as being a trapezium, it may generally follow that parallelogram form in set-up position. The most practical form of the device is probably that closely approaching the trapezoid.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a folding chair, fianged base and cover members hinged together for opening and closing movement, links pivoted respectively to the free end portions of the base and cover members and to one another along the outer edges thereof and closing toward the hinge connection of the base and cover members and having substantially diagonal meeting locking faces inside of the last mentioned pivots, and a duplex seat hinged to said cover member and to the lower links below the upper ends of said lower links, and hinges at the lower portions of the seat sections for causing the sections to break upwardly in opposition to the breaking of the pivot joints between the links, and means to prevent collapse of the chair when in the set-up position.

2. In a childs folding chair, a base member, a cover member hinged to the base member, lower links pivoted at their lower portions to forward portions of the base member, upper links pivoted at their rear end portions to upper portions of the cover member, said links having diagonal mutual contacting free end surfaces, pivots outwardly of said surfaces for hingedly connecting the adjoining ends of the link couples, and a seat composed of two sections, one section hinged to the cover member, said section and cover member having coacting means to prevent rearward movement of the seat when set up and thus collapse of the chair, the other section pivoted to the lower links at points spaced downwardly from said mutual surfaces, said seat sections having mutual locking adjacent edges, and pivots for the seat sections connected to the sections below the mutual locking edges thereof.

3. In a childs chair, case members hinged together, links pivoted to one another and to said case members for forming in the set-up position substantially a trapezium, and a seat composed of hinged sections pivoted to links attached to one case member and hinged directly to the other case member, and a lock to hold the chair in the setup position and against collapse.

4. In a childs chair, lower and upper case members hinged together, link couples pivoted to free end portions of the members and hinged together, said links when in dead center alignment being longer than the distance between the pivot points which connect the links to the two members in the right angle position of the case members to require the case members to be opened t an angle greater than 90 near the end of the setting up motion or at the beginning of the co1- lapsing motion, and a seat composed of upwardly opening hinged parts pivoted to members of the link couples attached to one case member and hinged directly to the other case member, and locking means for the link couples to retain the link couples and the chair in set-up position and against collapse.

5. In a childs folding chair, a base, a back hinged to the base, a seat composed of front and rear sections hinged together to break upwardly from a horizontal use position, said rear seat section hinged to said back, lower links pivoted to the base and to the front seat section and rising above the seat in the use position thereof, and upper links pivoted to the back and to the lower links and breaking downwardly at their connected ends, and means to retain the chair in set-up position and against collapse.'

6. In a childs folding chair, foldable hinged members, links pivoted to one another and to the two members, and a two-section foldable seat hinged directly to one member and to the links connected to the other member in spaced relation to the interconnecting pivots of the links, and a lock to hold the chair in the set-up position and against collapse.

7. In a childs folding chair, four members pivoted together in substantial trapezium form, and a seat of hinged sections projected across the trapezium and hinged between two opposing members, and a lock to hold the chair in the setup position and against collapse.

8. In a childs folding chair, a base, a cover, hinge means to foldably connect the base and cover at rear edges, substantially horizontal and vertical links pivoted at their remote end portions to forward portions of the base and cover, hinge means connecting the proximate ends of the links, locking faces at said proximate ends to contact when the chair is in set-up position to avoid collapse, a seat comprising a plurality of sections hinged together, said sections having locking faces for abutting against one another in the set-up position of the chair, pivot means to connect the forward portion of the seat to the vertical link at a point spaced below the hinge means connecting the proximate link ends, and a hinge connecting the rear portion of the seat to the cover.

9. In a childs folding chair according to claim 8, locking faces between the cover and rear edge portion of the seat adapted to contact when the seat is in set-up position.

10. A childs folding seat according to claim 8 characterized by the fact that the hinge between proximate ends of the links breaks downwardly and moves across the seat in seeking folded position, While the seat section hinge breaks upwardly.

FRANK O. AYLOR. 

